Over 700 business figures urge UK to 'prevent genocide in Gaza'

Signatories include major Labour backer Dale Vince, who gave the party £5m ahead of last year's general election

Green industrialist Dale Vince arrives to attend a session on the third day of the annual Labour Party conference in Liverpool, northwest England, on 10 October 2023 (AFP)

Green industrialist Dale Vince arrives to attend a session on the third day of the annual Labour Party conference in Liverpool, northwest England, on 10 October 2023 (AFP)

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More than 700 UK business leaders, founders and professionals have signed a letter urging the government to prevent further acts of genocide by Israel in Gaza.

The open letter, which was launched in June by Business Leaders for Peace, urges the full and unrestricted entry of aid into Gaza, a complete arms embargo on Israel and targeted sanctions against individuals and entities "credibly accused of violating international law".

Labour mega-donor Dale Vince, the owner of green energy company Ecotricity who gave the party £5m ($6.75m) ahead of last year's general election, said: "While most businesses and their leaders will shy away from anything considered controversial, I see that as an abdication of responsibility. Never more so than when we see the genocidal actions of Israel."

Vince added: "Our government needs to grasp the same reality and do that which is within its power uniquely, end arm sales to Israel and impose crippling trade sanctions, as called for from within Israel recently."

Vince recently made headlines for flying a 30ft Palestine flag outside the Ecotricity HQ in Stroud.

Sir Jonathan Porritt, a former adviser to Labour prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown and another signatory, said: "I believe all business leaders are duty-bound to do what we can to persuade UK and EU politicians to do whatever they can to put an end to it. Without further delay.

"This letter can play an important part in that process."

'This cannot be normalised'

Earlier this month, Porritt was among more than 500 protesters arrested at a demonstration against the government's ban on direct action group Palestine Action.

The UK government sanctioned two Israeli ministers, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, in June over "their repeated incitement of violence against Palestinian communities".

And last month, it announced it planned to recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly session in September.

But the open letter calls on the government to go much further.

"We recognise both the need of business for a secure, stable international context in which to operate, and our responsibility as business leaders in creating it through ethical leadership," the signatories say.

They condemn the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, which killed 1,200 people, and also condemn Israel's killing of "more than 60,000 people - many of them women and children" in Gaza.

"As starvation takes hold in Gaza, these acts of genocide now threaten to precipitate the gravest stage yet, violating the most basic tenets of international humanitarian law. This cannot be normalised. It must not continue."

The letter calls for "targeted sanctions against all individuals and entities credibly accused of violating international law, including war crimes".

It also demands the government "broaden financial sanctions and investment screening to stop UK financing of companies complicit in violations of international law".

The letter further urges the government to support investigations by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and International Criminal Court (ICC), "and full UK diplomatic support to secure the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages".

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